APQ Awards 2026: A Stage for Pertamina Personnel to Deliver Energy Transition Solutions
Hundreds of brilliant ideas have once again emerged from the workforce of PT Pertamina (Persero). From processing used cooking oil into future aircraft fuel to concocting food waste into a protective agent for drilling equipment that saves billions of rupiah in operational costs, these tangible breakthroughs took centre stage at the 16th Annual Pertamina Quality (APQ) Awards 2026, held at the Grha Pertamina Ballroom, Jakarta, on Monday (15/6/2026). This year, the idea competition carried the theme ‘Elevating Talent, Accelerating Innovation, and Delivering Enterprise Value’ and was participated in by 915 Pertamina officers grouped into 120 innovation clusters.
One of the stars of this year’s event was an innovation from Pertamina Patra Niaga’s Cilacap Refinery. Responding to the global energy transition challenge, the team successfully developed Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)—an environmentally friendly fuel for aircraft—processed from used cooking oil. This breakthrough represents a concrete step by Pertamina in building a low-carbon business and pursuing its Net Zero Emission target.
Equally impressive, a team from PT Pertamina Drilling Services Indonesia (PDSI) achieved Platinum status through a ‘Skin Care’ innovation for rig equipment. They created an anti-corrosion fluid for drilling tools derived from food waste. ‘This ’Skin Care’ innovation was born from the harsh challenges in the field. Our drilling equipment is highly susceptible to rust. Through this environmentally friendly raw material, we not only maintain the quality of the tools but also reduce the potential for environmental pollution while lessening the waste burden,’ said Riyan Tamara, Manager of Organization & Quality Management at PT PDSI. The breakthrough reportedly delivered fantastic savings for the company, reaching Rp 81 billion.
Pertamina’s Director of Human Resources, Andy Arvianto, asserted that the hundreds of innovations born at the APQ Awards 2026 have a significant impact that goes far beyond mere work process efficiency. This effort not only aims to improve the company’s internal processes but also to enhance corporate value through cost efficiency, operational reliability, and talent competency strengthening. ‘This event is not merely a competition for company talent, but a strategic instrument that mirrors the condition of innovation and quality in every entity of the Pertamina Group. The APQ Awards assessment results will become data and insights for management to map strengths, gaps, and improvement opportunities across all organisational lines,’ said Andy.
He added that in line with the theme, the APQ Awards also serve as a transformation accelerator, pushing each entity to achieve a complete system, sustainability, and increasingly mature governance year after year. This year, the APQ Awards jury bestowed the highest Platinum award on 40 clusters, followed by Gold for 53 clusters and Silver for 27 clusters.
Pertamina’s VP of Corporate Communication, Muhammad Baron, confirmed that these brilliant ideas will not stop at the awards stage. All innovations will be entered into the company’s knowledge management system so they can be replicated in other operational units across Indonesia. ‘The mandate to safeguard national energy security must be accompanied by business processes that continuously innovate—faster, more effective, and optimal. We will closely monitor the sustainability of these innovations through post-competition sustainability audits, so that their impact is truly felt in the long term,’ said Baron.